Infosys ex-CFO not to contest polls for AAP
In the remaining seats the party will ensure absolutely “impeccable” candidates contest providing an alternative to the people.
Infosys CFO V Balakrishnan will not contest the polls, a senior AAP functionary has said.
Kaunain Sheriff M
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is looking at giving a serious shot at winning in 10 to 12 seats in Karnataka for Lok Sabha polls, it will field a candidate against Nandan Nilekani of the Congress party in Bangalore South but former Infosys CFO V Balakrishnan will not contest the polls, a senior AAP functionary has said.
“The party will announce the candidates in stages. But by next week we will have the names,” Prithvi Reddy, national executive member, AAP said. The party would give a “serious shot” at 10-12 seats where it expects to give a tough fight, he said. In the remaining seats the party will ensure absolutely “impeccable” candidates contest providing an alternative to the people.
On the possibility of former Infosys CFO V Balakrishnan, who is one of the most well-known figures in AAP from Karnataka at present, being fielded from a Bangalore constituency Reddy said that Bala was not keen to contest the polls. “Bala has conveyed to the party that he would not contest the elections and he feels that he is not cut out for active politics . The rumours on his candidature are baseless,” He further added that Bala would help the party in framing its ‘economic policy’ and fund raising.
The AAP which has received over 300 applicants for the Lok Sabha elections would announce the list of candidates for Lok Sabha elections next week, Prithvi Reddy said. Arvind Kejriwal, who had named state leaders like Ananth Kumar, B S Yeduyarappa, Veerappa Moily and H D Kumaraswamy in his list of 25 corrupt politicians, will spearhead AAP’s campaign to defeat these candidates, Reddy said.
“The party would put all its resources in Lok Sabha constituencies of Bangalore South, Shimoga, Chikkaballapur and wherever Kumaraswamy decides to contest and we will ensure that they do not enter Parliament,” the AAP national executive member said. He refused to elaborate on who would take on these candidates. Arvind Kejriwal who has been the face of the party campaign across the country will also be seen campaigning in the state, he said.
“Very soon Arvind Kejriwal will be in Bangalore. He will also spend a lot of time in Karnataka as a state and the campaign would just not be Bangalore centric,” Prithvi Reddy said. Kejriwal will be touring ‘critical’ constituencies of the state, he said. On speculation that former principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) G S Prabhu will contest from the Bangalore North constituency on Aam Aadmi Party ticket, the national executive member said that Prabhu was among seven shortlisted candidates for the constituency.
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